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My Comments

To me, the album is, in some sense, just one long song. It doesn't have the same continuity as the second disc of Six Degrees, but because it tells a story (and a very complex one at that) it naturally forms one overarching concept when played continuously. The way it is written, each song is it's own self-contained piece that can stand on it's own, but also is a microcosm of the album as a whole. Each song advances the story but deals with the same major themes of reincarnation and transcendentalism, which is the impression the album as a whole leaves as well. So essentially, the album as a whole is just one conceptual song. Everything ends where it began.

Petrucci's got so many great solos! One of my personal favorites has got to be the bluesy one on "Breaking All Illusions." It's got a weird Pink-Floyd-meets-Joe-Satriani sound to it, and it's melodically superb. As far as shred-oriented solos go, however, some of my favorites are on "As I Am" and "Fatal Tragedy." Those two both have a great melody that carries throughout while simultaneously cramming in an insane amount of notes.

Scenes From a Memory for sure (based specifically on the complex storyline and recurring themes that is). To me that album is the most lyrically driven because of certain individual concepts that are alluded to again and again, like reincarnation and transcendence. ("what we have been is what we are", etc.)